Merchandise holder



Jan. 17, 1939. w. la:V MACK V MERCHANDISE HOLDER' Filed May 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Wag/nel?- Mack Patented vian. i7, 1939 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE MERCHANDISE HOLDER ginia Application May 8, 1937, Serial No. 141,410

5 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to merchandise holders, and more particularly to devices for holding and displaying merchandise in stores and the like. It relates still more particularly to a holder for merchandise sold in units rather than in bulk, as, for example, canned goods an-d goods packaged in boxes, bottles, wrappers, etc., and goods of such nature as to themselves form units such, for example, as loaves of bread, grapefruit, oranges, etc,

I have devised a merchandise holder which has all the advantages which a merchandise holder should possess, namely:

(l) Low cost.

(2) Light Weight and easy portability even 'when lled with merchandise.

(1 of merchandise are adapted to be held and displayed, such body being transversely open so that merchandise disposed therein may be seen from without. The holder preferably has a continuous transverse opening extending therealong from en-d to end but at the same time is shaped to prevent merchandise disposed therein from falling out transversely.

I find it desirable to make my merchandise holder out of sheet metal, as sheet metal is light 53;,'1 in` weight and readily adapts itself to formation into the desired shape. Specically, I prefer to employ expanded metal due to its foraminous character which allows for visibility of the merchandise not only through a continuous trans- ,l verse opening extending along the holder from end to end, if provided, but also through the. openings in the expanded metal itself. I find that flattened expanded metal which is formed by cold rolling and reducing expanded metal originally manufactured on an expanded metal making machine is particularly desirable due to the fact that both sides are smooth and flat, thus facilitating handling of the merchandise holder and preventing goods from catching therein and due to the high structural strength oi flattened expanded metal. Expanded metal, as is well known, is formed in integral sheets comprising strands and strand interconnecting bonds, and cold rolling of such sheets not only iiattens the metal but also greatly increases its strength.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

My merchandise holder may be made in many diierent forms and may be adapted for support by hanging, by setting on a counter or on the floor or otherwise. In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain present preferred embodiments of the invention, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of the inside of a store showing one form of mer chandise holder and one way in which it may be supported in operative position;

Figure 2 is an elevational view to enlarged scale of the lower portion of the. merchandise holder shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional View taken on the line III--III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing a modied form of merchandise holder with a loaf of bread disposed therein; and

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional View taken on the line V-V of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a portion oi the interior of a store including shelving designated generally by reference numeral 2, such shelving comprising an upright support and partition 3 having a facing 4 and shelves 5 having merchandise 6 thereon Such shelving forms no part of the present invention` but is shown to facilitate an understanding of the adaptability of my merchandise holder, one form of which will now be described. The particular form of merchandise holder to be described is adapted to be supported by being hung from a nail or similar support and is shown in Figure 1 as being hung from a nail 'l driven into the facing i of the shelving.

The holder is designated generally by reference numeral 8 and comprises a portion of a sheet of flattened expanded metal bent generally into the form oi somewhat more than half a cylinder, as shown in Figure 3. The expanded metal is of standard type including strands 9 and strand interconnecting bonds I and is flattened by cold rolling, which reduces the thickness of the metal and at the same time increases its strength. The expanded metal is readily flexible and may easily be cut and formed into the shape shown. It trimmed along strands of the expanded metal sheet so that the edges of the holder are smooth throughout. Due to the 'diagonal arrangement of the strands trimming'of the` expanded metal as just mentioned also results in a structurally strong merchandise holder of highly attractive appearance.

In the form of merchandise holder shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the expanded metal is bent generally along the arc of a circle so as to be adapted to hold cans I I. The holder as originally made can be sized to receive cans of any particular diameter and, due to the character of the structure and the flexibility of the material of which it is made, its size can be adjusted to adapt it to receive cans of different diameter simply by bending the metal. The holder has a continuous transverse opening I2 extending along the same from end to end, the goods being readily visible through such opening. The longitudinal edges I3 of the holder preferably extend around the goods suiciently to prevent removal of the same transversely from the holder without deformation of the holder. The goods are also visible through the interstices in the expanded metal, and when expanded metal is used in the fabrication of the holder it isl not essential that the opening I2 be provided, as the goods are sufficiently visible without it. However, provi-u sion of such opening increases the visibility of the goods and also reduces the weight and cost or the holder.

Suitably connected to the holder at its lower portion is a support I4 comprising a shelf I5 upon which the bottom article of merchandise is adapted to rest to hold the same against passing out through the bottom of the holder. The support it may be connected with the holder in any suitable manner, as, for example, by welding. The size of the shelf I5 is dependent upon the particular goods to be held in the holder. Ordinarily it may be comparatively small so as simply to engage an edge of a can or package. If goods such as oranges, grapefruit, apples or the like are to be held in the holder the shelf I5. should be larger or a larger supporting surface should be connected with it. A number of articles of merchandise may be piled up within the holder one on top of another as shown in Figure l. The articles are preferably inserted and withdrawn at the upper end of the holder, which is open for this purpose. The upper end of. the holder may be provided with means for closing it after insertion of the merchandise to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized withdrawal thereof.

In Figures 4 and 5 there is shown a modied form of merchandise holder 8 which is to all intents and purposes a duplicate of the holder shown in Figures l, 2 and 3 except that it is shaped to receive and hold loaves of bread, of which one, designated by reference numeral I6, is shown in the bottom of the holder.

In addition to serving simply as a merchandise holder for display purposes my holder may also be used for transportation purposes, as it is structurally strong yet light in weight and shaped so as to consume very little space in addition to the space consumed by the goods. A holder of the type herein disclosed adapted primarily for transportation purposes would preferably omit the upper and lower generally triangular or pointed portions of the form of, holder shown, or such portions or similar appropriately shaped portions could be bent over to close the holder` at its ends.

While I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the same is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A merchandise holder comprising an elongated hollow body having a continuous transverse opening extending along the same from end to end, said body being of curved cross-section and being bendable to change its size to accommodate articles of merchandise of generally circular cross-section of diierent cross-sectional dimension.

2. A merchandise holder comprising an elongated hollow body of expanded metal having a continuous transverse opening extending along the same from end to end, the edges of said body dening said opening being constituted at leastl in substantial part by unsevered strands of the expanded metal.

3. A merchandise holder comprising an elongated and readily bendable hollow body or expanded metal open at both ends and having a continuous transverse opening extending along the same from end to end, the holder having a stop member connected with the expanded metal of the body adjacent one end thereof and projecting inwardly of. the holder to limit movement therethrough of articles of merchandise introduced from the opposite end whereby such articles of merchandise may be stacked within the holder when the holder is disposed with its first mentioned end downwardly.

4. A merchandise holder comprising an elongated hollow body of expanded metal having a continuous transverse opening extending along the same from end to end, said body of expanded metal being of curved cross-section and being bendable to change its size to accommodate articles of merchandise of generally circular crosssection of diierent cross-sectional dimension.

5. A merchandise holder comprising an elongated and readily bendable hollow body oi" expanded metal open at its upper end and having a continuous transverse opening extending along the same from end to end, the holder having stop means to limit movement therethrough of articles of merchandise introduced from the upper end whereby such articles of merchandise may be stacked within the holder, the bendability of the body providing for changing its crosssectional size to accommodate articles of. merchandise of different cross-sectional dimension.

WAYNE E. MACK. 

